Clamp assembly for a triger housing



June 19, 1956 E, M, HARVEY CLAMP ASSEMBLY FOR A TRIGGER HOUSING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 7, 1953 INVENTOR. E 51*1 E M H11IVE y 7/ Wax QI ATTOENE Y5 June 19, 1956 E. M. HARVEY 2,750,700

CLAMP ASSEMBLY FOR A TRIGGER HOUSING Filed May 7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Eagle M-Hurvey HTTOEN E Y5 United States Patent CLAMP ASSEMBLY FOR A TRIGGER HOUSING Earle M. Harvey, Agawam, Mass assignor t0 the United :tates of America as represented by the Secretary of the rmy' Application May 7, 1953, Serial No. 353,700

4 Claims. (CI. 42-75) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes Without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to shoulder type firearms and more particularly to means for separably clamping the operating mechanism of a firearm to the stock.

In firearms embodying wooden stocks, difficulty is experienced when providing the means for mounting the metal mechanism to the stock as it is Well known that the dimensions of wooden stocks are affected by atmospheric conditions. Therefore, care must be taken that the varying dimensions of the stock will not have undesirable effects upon the operating mechanism.

In theU. S. rifleMl, for example, the stock is clamped between the barrel and receiver assembly and the trigger housing. With this type of construction, the stock functions as a spacer between the receiver and the trigger housing. Therefore, the swelling and shrinking of the stock from changing atmospheric conditions, obviously affect the relationship between the receiver and the trigger housing. This fluctuation becomes particularly objectionable if the firearm is provided with a box magazine as a magazine latch assembled to the trigger housing is raised or lowered with the changes in the dimensions of the stock, to affect the tightness or looseness with which the magazine is held within the firearm.

It is, therefore, the particular object of this invention to provide means for securing the operating mechanism of a firearm to the stock whereby the expansion or contraction of the stock does not affect the operating mechanism of the firearm.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device for conveniently and securely attaching the operating mechanism of a firearm to the stock.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide means for assembling the operating mechanism of a firearm to the stock whereby the operating mechanism may be assembled before being joined to the stock.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side view of the operating mechanism of a firearm;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the stock for the firearm with portions broken away to show the passageway which receives the operating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the clamping mechanism by which the operating mechanism is secured to the stock and is shown in open, separable position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged bottom view of the clamping mechanism;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the firearm showing the operating mechanism, stock and clamping mechanism in assembled relationship; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged exploded view of the clamping mechanism.

Shown in the figures is a firearm having a stock 12 2,750,700 'Patented June 19, 1956 and an operating mechanism comprised of a receiver 13, a barrel 14, and a trigger housing 15. Provided in stock 12 is a longitudinal channel (not shown), which receives barrel 14, and a vertical passageway 16 which receives the depending portions of receiver 13 and the trigger housing 15 assembled thereto. Fixed to barrel 14 is a ferrule 17 which slidably receives the front end of stock 12.

A pair of laterally spaced apart lugs 18 depend from the bottom of trigger housing 15 to provide support for a clamping mechanism 20. Provided in lugs 18 are aligned transverse holes 21 and slots 22 which provide communication thereinto. Clamping mechanism 20 is comprised of a trigger guard 23, a pin 24, and a jaw member 25. Extending forwardly from trigger guard 23 is a pair of spaced apart arms 26 which are arranged to receive lugs 18 therebetween. Transverse holes 19 in arms 26 receive pin 24.

Pin 24 is of similar diameter as holes 21 and is provided with parallel chordal surfaces 27 which, when aligned with the sides of slots 22, permit entry of pin 24 into holes 21. Chordal surfaces 27 are so arranged, in respect to trigger guard 23, that pin 24 is receivable through slots 22 into holes 21 when trigger guard 23 is in an open position, which is when it is in a substantially vertical relationship to the longitudinal axis of the firearm, and the full diameter of pin 24 is aligned with slots 22 when trigger guard 23 is pivoted rearwardly to a closed position thereby pivotally securing trigger guard 23 to lugs 18. A forwardly opening notch 28 is provided in the rear portion of trigger guard 23 and is arranged to mate with a rearwardly extending tongue portion 29 provided in trigger housing 15 for resiliently latching trigger guard 23 in the closed position. Arcuate cam portions 30 project from arms 26 and are arranged to extend upwardly therefrom when trigger guard 23 is in the closed position.

law member 25 is substantially U-shaped in crosssection and the sides 31 thereof are arranged to extend upwardly, adjacent the longitudinal sides of trigger housing 15, and to terminate in outwardly flaring ledge portions 32. Sides 31 are joined at their bases by a pair of spaced apart sill portions 33 which are so arranged that lugs 18 are accommodatable therebetween. Arranged between sill portions 33 is a longitudinal lug portion 34 which is receivable between lugs 18. Lug 34 is provided with an intermediate downwardly depending saddle portion 35 to provide clearance for pin 24 which passes transversely therethrough to unitan'ly assembled trigger guard 23 with jaw member 25. Provided in the bottom portions of sides 31 are cut-out portions 36 arranged to receive cam portions 30. Surfaces 37, formed by cut-out portions 36, are arranged to cooperate with cam portions 30 whereby jaw member 25 is moved upwardly, to urge ledges 32 against stock 12, when trigger guard 23 is pivoted to the closed position.

To assemble the firearm by the clamping mechanism of this invention, the operating mechanism is completely assembled before being joined to the stock, thus permitting the components to be fixedly secured together and their relationships checked. The front end of stock 12 is next engaged to ferrule 17, trigger housing 15 and receiver 13 pivotally moved into alignment with passageway 16 and clamping mechanism 20 assembled to trigger housing 15 as hereinbefore described.

Because the clamping mechanism of this invention per- ,mits the components of the operating mechanism of the firearm to be fixedly assembled together before being joined to the stock, the operating mechanism is not affected by the variations in the dimensions of the stock. Further, the clamping mechanism is simple and rugged in construction, is convenient to use and is sure in operation.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

I claim: g t

1. A firearm including a stock and a mechanism comprising a barrel, a receiver and a trigger housing, said stock being provided with a vertical passageway for receiving said receiver and said trigger housing and a longitudinal channel for receiving said barrel, a trigger guard separably mounted by a transverse pin to said trigger housing for pivotal movement thereon between an open separable position and a closed locked position, a jaw member unitarily assembled to said trigger guard by said transverse pin, and cam means on said trigger guard to clamp said stock between said barrel and receiver and said jaw member when said trigger guard is in said closed position.

2. A firearm including a stock and a mechanism comprising a barrel, a receiver and a trigger housing, said stock being provided with a vertical passageway for receiving said receiver and trigger housing and a longitudinal channel for receiving said barrel, a pair of laterally spaced apart lugs depending from the bottom of said trigger housing, said lugs being provided with aligned transverse holes and slots communicating thereinto, a substantially U-shaped jaw member mounted straddlewise on said trigger housing and provided with ledges engageable with the bottom side of said stock, a trigger guard, arm portions projecting from the front end of said trigger guard to receive said lugs therebetween, said arm portions being provided with transverse openings in which there is fixedly secured a pin having chordal surfaces to provide entry of said pin through said'slots to said holes for mounting said trigger guard to said trigger housing for pivotal movement between a closed and an open position, said chordal surfaces being so positioned in relationship to said trigger guard that said pin is received by said slots when said trigger guard is in said open position and is secured in said holes when said trigger guard is pivoted away from said open position, and cam portions projecting from said arms to cooperate with said jaw member to urge said jaw member against said stock when said trigger guard is in said closed position to clamp said stock against said barrel and receiver.

3. Clamping means for separably assembling a firearm operating mechanism having a trigger housing with a depending trigger to a stock provided with a passageway for receiving the trigger housing including, a lever, a jaw member, a transverse pin fixedly mounted to said lever through said jaw member, means for releasably mounting said pin to the trigger housing to provide pivotal support for said lever during movement between an open releasable position and a closed trigger guard position, and cam means extending from said lever to clamp the stock between the operating mechanism and said jaw member when said lever is in said closed trigger guard position.

4. A firearm having a stock and a mechanism comprising a receiver and a depending trigger housing, said stock being provided with a vertical passageway for receiving said trigger housing, a pair of lugs depending from said trigger housing, a U-shaped jaw member mounted straddlewise on the lower portion of said trigger housing so as to be engageable with the bottom side of said stock, a trigger guard provided with cam portions, a pin fixedly mounted to said trigger guard and through said jaw member for unitary assembly thereof, said pin being separably mounted to said lugs for pivotal movement of said trigger guard between a closed locked position and an open separable position, and said cam portions being so positioned on said trigger guard that when said trigger guard is in said closed locked position said jaw member is pressed thereby against said stock for clamping thereof between said receiver and said jaw member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 936,967 Whiting Oct. 12, 1909 978,415 Wesson Dec. 13, 1910 1,290,833 Hammond Jan. 7, 1919 2,368,160 Roemer Jan. 30, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 678,066 Germany July 7, 1939 

